Fence-machine



(No Mqdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A L. KITSELMAN. FENCE MACHINE.

No. 606,420. Patented June 28,1898.

2 Sheets-heet 2.

Patented June 28,1898.

llrrnn nron.

ALVA L. KITSELMAN, OF RIDGEVILLE, INDIANA.

FJENCE-M'ACHINEQI" SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent N 0.606,420, dated June 28, 1898. Application filed August 28, 1897. SerialNo. 649,848. (No model.)

My invention relates to improvements in machines for making wire fencesof that class which are designed for operation in the field or open airat the be erected.

The object that I have i nview' in my present invention isto provide animproved inaplace where the fence is to V i 1 it further consists in atwo-part gripper and chine of this character in which the parts arearranged for convenientoperation and con trol, so as to enable themachine to be advanced easily and quickly, as occasion may demand.

vide a novel gripping mechanism which will operate to-firmly engage orgrip the Wire ina manner to effectually prevent any slipping of the wirethrough the gripper and at the same time enable the gripper to beadjusted by hand for the purpose of attaching the gripper to the wireafter the latter has been stretched between and applied to thefence-posts, such arrangement of the gripper obviating the ne cessity ofthreading the wire through the gripper or of twisting the wire aroundsaid gripper.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanismfor propelling or feeding the machine in a forward direction in theintervals between the Weaving of the weft or stay wires with thelongitudinal strands or runners, which feeding or propelling mechanismmay be easily operated to open the grippers, advance the latter upon theline-wires or strands, close the grippers, and advance the machine therequired distance, equal to the width of the mesh of the wire-fencefabric.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for varying thestroke of the propolling mechanism, and consequently vary the feed ofthe machine, to regulate the width of the mesh in the wire-fencefabric'woven by the machine.

Withthese ends in view the first part of my invention consists intheCO111bll1tll0l],Wl'th a'twistencarrying frame, of anoperating-lever'fnlcrumed on said fra1ne,a series of grippers, anddevices which connect said grippers positively with the frame and withthe levers, whereby the operatinglever is made to serve in a dualcapacity of positively opening and ad vancin g the grippers, closing thesame upon the wires, and feedingor moving the machine along said wires aproper distance.

My invention further consists in a peculiar construction of the gripperby which it has a double or two fold gripon the line-wire; and

an actuating-link having a cam-slotted connection with the respectivemembers of said gripper for positively opening and closing the gripperby an endwise movement of said link. The invention further consists inthe novel combination of elements, and in the construction andarrangement of parts, which will be A further object of the invention isto pro-' ment thereof in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a fenceweaving machine for field service equippedwith wire grippers and a propelling mechanism constructed in' accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of thewire-gripper, showing the adjuster-link in connection with the gripperthat serves to open and close the members of said gripper. Fig. 3 is asectional view through the hub of the gripper, showing the membersthereof opened to permit the gripper to slide upon the wire or the wiretopass through the gripper. Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse sectionalview on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4 4. of Fig. 3. Fig. 5isadetail view showing in perspective the cooperating gripping-faces of thewire-gripper. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the supporting-brackets,which may be used either at the top or bottom of the machine. Fig. 7 isa detail viewof the bracket on which the propelling-lever is fulcrumed.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a fence-weaving machine of thatclass which is used in the open field for the purpose of weaving weft orstay wires around the longitudinal strands or line-wires forming a partof a fence, said longitudinal strands or line-wires being stretchedbetween and attached to fence-posts. This machine has a verticalstandard or supporting-frame (indicated in a 'general way by thenumeral 1) and the usual twisters 2 and bobbins The machine proper doesnot form a part of the present invention, and as no novelty therefor isclaimed in this application I do not consider it necessary to make adetailed description of its construction or mode of operation, as thesame is well-known and understood by those skilled in the art to whichmy invention relates.

The gripper of my invention and the propelling mechanism for feeding themachine may be used either independently or conjunctively on any type ofwire-fence-weaving machine designed for field service, and I do nottherefore wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use of myimprovements in connection with the machine shown by Fig. 1 or with anyother machine of the same class or for the same purpose.

I provide a series of grippers for engagement with a like series of theline-wires or longitudinal strands of the fence, each gripper beingindicated by the numeral 5 in the drawings. 111 the construction of myimproved gripper I have sought to obviate the necessity of separate jawsto grasp the wire and of wrapping or twisting the wire around a part ofthe gripper, as is customary in some types of grippers used inconnection with fence-weaving machines. I make the gripper of twopieces, which may be readily separated for easy application to theline-wire after the latter has been adjusted and stretched, and eachgripper isfurthermoreconstructed with coacting binding-surfaces on itsmembers, which surfaces grip the wire on both sides of the axial centerof the gripper and 1 thus enable the device to securely grasp the wireagainst any tendency of the latter to slip or free itself in thegripper. This gripper 5 consists of two members or sections 6 and 7,each of which is cast in a single piece of,

metal. The member 6 is formed at one end with a boss 8 of circular form,and from this boss projects a pintle or stud 9, which occupies a centralor axial relation to the boss 8 of said member 6. This central pintle orstud and with a shoulder 12. One end of this flange 11 terminates on aplane even with one edge of the slot or wire-passage 10, while theshoulder 12 is on the plane of the opposite side of the passage or slot10. Said terminal edge of the flange 11 forms a grippersurface,(indicated at 13,) while the exposed face or edge of the shoulder 12forms another gripper-surface, and these gripper-surfaces are disposedon, opposite sides of the axial center of the pintle or stud 9. Theother member 7 of the gripper has a circular plate or disk 14, in whichis produced a central eye or aperture 15 to receive the pintle or stud 9of the member 6, and when the members are applied laterally together thecentral stud or pintle 9 of the member 6 is adapted to fit loosely inthe central eye or opening 15 of the member 7, thus pivotally attachingthe two members 6 7 together. The members are prevented from lateralseparation by a pin or cotter 16, whichis fitted in the protruding endof the stud or pintle 9, andthis pin or cotter being thus attached tothe stud or pintle it is arranged to bear against the outer face of thedisk-like enlargement 14E of the member 7. The gripper members are thusconnected together loosely by the pintle or stud to enable the membersto have a limited turning movement; but by removing the pin or cotter 16the members may be separated laterally by hand, thus enabling thegripper to be opened or spread for application to a line-wire afterthelatter has been stretched, as will be readily understood. The member'7 of the grip per is provided on that face of its disk-like enlargement14 which is opposed to the inner face of the boss f the member 6 with aflange 17 and with a shoulder 18, andthe end 17 of the flange 17terminates at a point where a line drawn through the imaginary axis ofthe opening 15 will not touch either the shoulder 18 or the end 17" ofthe flange 17. This terminal 17 of the flange and the shoulder 18 of thegripper member 7 form a pair of gripping-surfaces on the member 7, whichlie 011 opposite sides of the center of the disk-like end 14 of saidmember 7, and these gripping-surfaces 17 and 18 are arranged to coactwith the gripping-surfaces 13 and 12, respectively, on the member 6 ofthe gripper. When the members (5 7 of the gripper are forced laterallyaway from each other, the gripping-surfaces 13 12 of the member 6 arecaused to move away from the grippingsurfaces 17 18 of the member '7;but a reverse movement of the gripper members causes the gripping-facesof the respective members to approach each other and bind the line-wireat two points, which lie on opposite sides of the vertical center oraxis of the pivotal connection of the gripper members. From thisdescription it will be seen that I have provided a very simple form ofgripper in which the parts thereof may be easily and quickly assembledor fitted together, and that they operate efficiently to grip the wirebetween themselves at two points, thus providing for secure holding ofthe wire against slippage in the gripper and for the ready applicationof the gripper to the wire without wrapping the latter around thegripper.

Each member of the gripper is cast with a shank, which forms an integralpart of the member, the shank for the member 6 being indicated at 6 andthe shank for the member 7 at 7. The members are assembled together tohave the shanks thereof lie in different per are enlarged or widenedsomewhat, and in these free widened ends of the gripper shanks areprovided the diagonal slots 21, which are inclined in oppositedirections.

The actuator-link for the gripper is indicated at 22, and it consists ofa single casting with diverging arms 23 23, which are spread to lap theslotted free ends of, the grippershanks, said arms of the actuator-linkhaving integral studs 24, which pass through the" slots 20 21 of thegripper-shanks, so as to slide freely therein. The actuator-link isprevented from accidental separation from the grippershanks by theemployment of the transverse pins or cotters 25, which pass through thestuds 24 and bear against one face of the gripper-shanks. Theactuatorlink is adapted to have an endwise or reciprocating motionimparted thereto, and when this link is moved toward the pivoted end ofthe gripper members the latter open to separate the gripping-surfaces,while a reverse movement of the actuator-link closes the grippermembers.p V

In the drawings I have shown the shanks of the gripper members 6 7connected by means of a coiled spring 26, the respective ends of whichare attached to the grippershanks at points between the pivotalconnection of the gripper membersand the attachment of the actuated linkto-said grippershanks, This spring serves to draw the gripper-shankstogether, so as to force the gripping-surfaces upon the wire; but Iwould have it understood that this spring is not an essential part of myinvention, and it may be omitted or used at pleasure. In case of theomission of the spring I depend upon the mechanical connection of theactuator-link to the slotted ends of the grippermembers to lock thegripper members and to adjust the same.

In embodying my improved propelling mechanism I employ bell-cranks 27 28near the'top andbottom'ends of the fence machine,

an operating-lever 29, formed as a part of the ets 31 32 for saidbell-cranks are also dupli- Each bracket 31 32 1 cates one of the other.is a single casting in the form ofa yoke with a pivot-stud 35 at itsouter extremity and a base-plate 36 attheinner end, said base-plate 1having a central eye or opening. The flat base of the yoke-shapedbracket is applied against the outer front face of the standard or frame1 of the machine, and a threaded end of one of the machine-spindles ispassed through the eye of said base-plate, said end of the spindlereceiving a nut 37, which binds against the base of the bracket to holdthe bracket in place on the standard or frame of the fence-machine. Thebell-cranks 27' 28 at the top and bottom of .the'machine are fulcrumedcentrally on thepivot-studs of the brackets 31 32, and to the upper armsof these bell-cranks 27 28 are pivoted the actuatorlinks forthe upperand lower grippers. The other arms of the upper and lower bell-cranks 2728 are loosely or pivotally attached to the vertical rod or bar 38,which forms the operative connection betweenthe bell-cranks and thelever 29, by which the machine is propelled. The bracket 33 for theintermediate bell-crank 30, forming a part of the lever 29, is similarin its general construction to the upper and lower brackets for thepurpose of enabling said intermediate bracket 33 to be attached to thestandard or frame of the fencemachine; but the said intermediate bracket33 is provided with a web 40, in which is formed an arc-shaped slot 41,which is concentric with the pivot-stud on which the lever andbell-crank 29 30 are fulcrumed. The lever is continuous with one arm ofthe bellcrank 30, and this lever is preferably bent at an intermediatepoint of its length, thelever 29 being attached to the vertical rod orbar 38 for the purpose of moving the latter to actuate the bell-cranks27 28, by which the ac-.

tuator-links 22 are moved to open or close the upper and lower grippers.The bell-crank 30 of the lever 29 is attached to the actuatorlink forthe intermediate gripper of the series of grippers provided in thepropelling mechanism, and thus the intermediate gripper is arranged tobe actuated directly by the handlever, while the upper and lowergrippers are controlled by operative connections with said hand-lever.

The throw or movement of the hand-lever 29 is regulated by an adjustablestop-bolt 10, which is fitted in the arc-shaped slot 41 of theintermediate bracket 33, and one end of this bolt projects intothe pathof the arm or bellcrank 30 of the lever 29 to limit the play or movementof said lever. This stop-bolt may be moved to any desired position inthe slot of the bracket 33 to arrest the movement of the lever atdifferent points, and as the play of the lever is thus regulated theadjustment of the gripper devices may be varied along the line-wires orstrands toregulate the extent of the feed or movement of the fence-Inachine, whereby the machine may be propelled bythe described mechanismto vary the width of the mesh in the fence fabric to be woven by themachine. a V The vertical bar or rod 33 is provided with a series ofopenings which are spaced apart for distances corresponding to the spacebetween the line-wires, and thus the brackets and the grippers may beapplied to the machine and connected through the bell-cranks with thebar or red 381:0 engage with any-desired wires of the series ofline-wires forming the warp of the fence.

This being the construction of my machine. the operation may bedescribed, briefly, as follows: When the hand-lever 29 is depressed, thecrank 30 and the bar 38 move the actuator-links 22 forward to open thegripper members and advance the same along the line-wires for a distancecorresponding to the movement or throw of the lever. As the lever israised the bell-cranks retract the actuator-links slightly, so as toclose the grippers and make the latter grip the strands of wirestightly, and as the grippers are thus immovably attached to the wires acontinued movement of the lever causes the machine to be drawn along fora distance equal to the Width of a mesh in the wire fabric. As has beenexplained, the stroke of the lever, and consequently the feed of themachine, may be varied by adjusting the stop-bolt 40, and thus the widthof the mesh in the fabric may be regulated by the simple adjustment ofone element of the propelling mechanism.

While I have shown and described my improved gripper as used inconnection with a particular form of propelling mechanism, I do notstrictly limit myself to the use of this particular gripper inconnection with the particular form of the propelling mechanism,nor,vice versa,the particular propelling mechanism in connection withthe gripper, as I am aware that parts of the invention may be usedwithout the Whole; nor do I strictly confine myself to the exact detailsof construction and the form and proportion of parts herein shown anddescribed as the preferred embodiment of the invention, as it is evidentthat the same may be modified by a skilled mechanic without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination With supporting-brads ets, of apropelling-leverfulcrumed on one of the brackets, grippers arranged toengage with line-wires of a fence, and intermediate connections betweensaid grippers and the lever arranged to open, advance, and close thegrippers, for the purposes described substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a single controlling or propelling lever, of aseries of grippers each having movable members arranged to grip aline-wire, a series of devices connected with said grippers to open andclose the same, and operating connections between said actuator devicesarranged to impel the said actuating devices to open and advance thegrippers when the lever is moved in one direction and to close thegrippers upon linewires when the lever is moved in the other direction,for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a single controlling or propelling lever, of aseries of sectional grippers each constructed to open and close by a cammovement, a series of slidable actuator devices each having a camconnection with said grippers to open or close the members of thegripper, and intermediate connections between the slidable actuatordevices and the lever to advance the latter and the grippers and causesaid actuator devices to open and close the grippers automatically asthe lever is 'moved, as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination with a single controlling-lever, of a series ofsectional grippers, slidable actuator devices connected with saidgrippers to open and close the same, operative connections between thelever and said slidable devices, and means for varying the stroke of thelever and forregulating the advancement of the actuator devices and thegrippers, as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination of a series of sectional grippers each having itsmembers provided with oppositely-inclined slots, a series of actuatordevices connected with the slotted ends of the sectional grippers, alever, and intermediate connections between the actuator devices and thelever, as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination with a series of grippers, of slidable actuator linksconnected thereto, bell-cranks attached to said actuatorlinks, a lever,and'a rod connected with the lever and with the bell-cranks, for thepurposes described, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a series of fixed brackets, one of which carriesan adjustable stop-bolt, a lever fulcrumed to said bracket with thestop-bolt, a series of grippers, slidable actuator-links attached to thegrippers, bell-cranks attached to the actuator-links, and a rod or barpivoted to the lever and the bell-cranks, as and for the purposesdescribed.

8. A gripper for wire-fence machines comprising two members constructedfor the passage of a fence-wire and pivoted together at a pointintermediate of the length thereof,

each gripper member provided, on opposite sides of the pivotalconnection, with a pair of grippingfaces arranged to coact withsimilarly-disposed gripping-faces on the other member and a springoperatively connected With said members to normally draw the coactinggripper faces thereof toward each other, whereby the members may beclosed upon a wire to firmly grip the latter at points in opposite sidesof the pivotal movement of said members, substantially as described.

9. A gripper for a wire-fence machine constructed in laterally-separablesections for the passage of a fence-wire and pivotally connectedtogether at a point intermediate of their length, each gripper memberprovided with a pair of gripper-surfaces disposed on opposite sides ofthe gripper-pivot and coacting With similar faces on the other member,substantially as described.

'10. A gripper fora Wire-fence machine comprising a member having a pairof gripperfaces'and a pintle slotted for the passage of a fence-wire,and another member mounted on said pintle and having gripper-faces thatcoact with the corresponding faces of the firstnamed member,substantially as described.

11. A gripper fora Wire-fence machine comprising a memberhaving atransversely-slotted pintle and the gripping-faces disposed on oppositesides of lines drawn longitudinally and transversely through the pintle,and another member loosely fitted to said pintle and havinggripper-faces arranged to coact with the similar faces of thefirst-named member, substantially as described.

12. A gripper for a Wire-fence machine, comprising a member 6 flanged toprovide the gripper-faces 12 and 13 and having a slotted pintle, anothergripper member perforated to fit loosely on the pintle and having thegripper-faces 17 and 18, to coact with the faces of the first-namedmember, and means for confining the gripper members against lateraldisplacement, substantially as described.

13. A gripper for wire-fence machines comprising laterally-separablemembers having their coacting gripper-faces arranged for the passage ofa fence-Wire and united pivotally together by a transversely-slottedpintle, and the extended arms carried by the gripper members, for thepurposes described, substantially as setforth.

15. In a wire-fence machine,a two-part gripper having its memberspivoted together, and an operating-1ink having a cam-slotted connectionwith both gripper members, substantially as described.

16. In a Wire-fence machine, a two-part gripper having its pivotedmembers provided with inclined slotted arms, a link slidably fitted tosaid slotted gripper-arms, and a spring Which normally closes thegripper members, substantially as described.

17. In a Wire-fence machine, the combination with a frame carryingwire-twisters, of a lever, a series of grippers, and devices connectingsaid lever and grippers with said frame, whereby the lever closes thegrippers upon the fence-Wires and feeds or moves the twister-carryingframe along the fence-Wires, substantially as set forth. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALVA L. KITSELMAN.

Witnesses:

EDW. T. MYGATT, OTTO KRUIG.

